Bone to be Wild

At 53 years old, having spent decades carrying significant excess weight, my knees and lower back have a lot to say about my daily routine.

Now that I am doing regular cardio and calisthenics, the mechanical stress on my joints is increasing. The standard medical advice is usually "take an anti-inflammatory" (NSAID) to mask the pain. My approach, however, is Preventative Maintenance.

I don't want to silence the check engine light; I want to rebuild the engine mounts. This is why I consume Bone Broth - not as a soup, but as a bioactive supplement.

The "Glue" of the Human Body

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is the "glue" that holds your skin, tendons, ligaments, and gut lining together.

When we were young, our bodies manufactured collagen effortlessly. But by the time we hit our 40s and 50s, that production plummets. The result? Creaky knees, sagging skin, and digestive issues.

Bone Broth is essentially a liquid infusion of collagen, extracted directly from animal connective tissue. But the real magic happens when that collagen breaks down into its constituent amino acids, specifically Glycine.

The Two-Front War: Guts and Joints

1. The Joint Lubricant For my knees, bone broth provides the raw materials (Glycosaminoglycans, Glucosamine, and Chondroitin) needed to repair cartilage. Unlike pills, which have questionable absorption rates, the gelatin in bone broth is highly bio-available. It is literally the stuff joints are made of, in liquid form.

2. The Internal Sealant (Leaky Gut) This is the hidden benefit. Years of poor diet (sugar, gluten, seed oils) often lead to "Intestinal Permeability" (Leaky Gut). The microscopic "tight junctions" in your intestinal wall loosen, allowing toxins to leak into your bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation. Glycine acts as a sealant. It helps rebuild the tissue lining the stomach and intestines, tightening those junctions and lowering systemic inflammation.

The Audit: Stock vs. Broth

Do not be fooled by the cartons of "Beef Stock" in the grocery store soup aisle.

• Store Stock: Water, Salt, Yeast Extract (MSG), Natural Flavors, and maybe a hint of beef powder. It is flavored water.

Or this. Um, no.

• Bone Broth: Bones, Water, Acid (Vinegar). Simmered for 24-48 hours.

The Wobble Test The only metric that matters is viscosity. When you put real broth in the fridge, it should obtain the consistency of Jell-O. That "jiggle" is the gelatin (cooked collagen). If your broth stays liquid when cold, it has low collagen content. It fails the quality audit.

The Protocol

You don't need a recipe; you need a process.

1. The Materials: Beef knuckles, marrow bones, or chicken feet (highest collagen).

2. The Solvent: Water + 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (the acid helps leach the minerals from the bone).

3. The Time: Slow cooker on low for 24–48 hours.

4. The Result: Strain it, salt it (heavily if you are doing keto - you need the electrolytes), and drink a mug every day.

The Takeaway

I view Bone Broth as essential "Retrofitting" for my chassis. As I lose the weight and ask my body to move in ways it hasn't in years, I need to ensure the structural integrity of the joints doing the work. It is the cheapest, most effective joint supplement you can buy—provided you make it yourself.